An idiosyncratic, frequently intriguing study of angels and humanity’s future.
Religion and science mix in Freeman’s nonfiction exploration of the nature of angels.
A near-ubiquitous trope found in religions from around the world and throughout history involves a “class of supermen and superwomen who have watched over us and the larger biosphere for hundreds of millions of years.” Distinct from their infallible, omnipresent, omniscient creator, “even the tallest, strongest, smartest and longest living angels,” such as Lucifer, have been susceptible to their own egos and foibles. Well versed in world religions, the author begins this work by considering the relationship between angels and humanity, from the perspectives of multiple religions. Central to the book is Freeman’s speculation that “divine spirit entities could have carried the raw information contained on a human genome,” and that the men and women who lived on Earth before the global flood of the Noah’s ark story were, in fact, angels. This idea, per the author, explains the otherwise impossibly long lifespans of Biblical figures like Methuselah and fits into a scientific narrative of an angelic role in “managing evolution on earth.” Blending eclectic religious ideas with science, Freeman speculates that future scientific advancements, such as artificial intelligence, may be used by “spirit collectives” to prepare humanity for our next evolutionary step to a more peaceful future. While not all readers, ranging from those who adhere to religious orthodoxies to atheists, will be convinced by the author’s religious interpretations (which came to him, in part, in a dream he had as a teenager), the book nevertheless poses compelling questions about the intersection of religious and scientific ideas, from computer simulations to multiverse theories. While critical of traditional Christianity—arguing, for instance, that Christians since the fourth century have stripped Jesus of his core socialist message—Freeman is generally inclusive of multiple religions, blending Abrahamic doctrines with Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Greek mythology.
An idiosyncratic, frequently intriguing study of angels and humanity’s future.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9798350912791
Page Count: 262
Publisher: BookBaby
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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